New millinery launch: Kim Fraser's Hatnip Hats!

Here's some exciting news: Kim Fraser, one of my former millinery students, has recently launched her retail hat brand, Hatnip Hats! Kim works in a variety of materials--several types of straw, fabric and felt. You may recall her work from a blog post last semester about her explorations in the range of 30s/40s-inspired felt millinery trims.

Kim primarily does one of a kind designs available through an Etsy storefront, but last week we had a fun hat-focused launch party at PlayMakers Repertory Company in tandem with our run of My Fair Lady (and its famous Ascot scene, which is always hat-tastic)!

The event centered around a tea party held in the rehearsal hall of the theatre, with a long display of Kim's hats in front of our full wall of mirrors. This made trying on hats easy and fun! About twenty women attended the tea party, all theatre donors part of a woman-centered benefactor group called Women's Point of View. We had a great group convo about millinery as an art form, and how costume production differs from making hats for contemporary retail.

These images show the Hatnip display at the millinery tea party, but many of these designs are available in her shop. She accepts custom queries there as well. Congrats, Kim! Such beautiful work.